Historic Highlight

Harbor House Inn

Historic Highlight

By Julie Senk on Jan 25, 2017

Perched on a hill overlooking the village and sea, the circa 1865-1870 Harbor House Inn in Boothbay Harbor was constructed for sea captain Mitch Reed in the short-lived Second Empire style. The genre often employed elements of its predecessor, the Italianate style, including brackets and decorative window and door details but its most defining feature is the stately mansard roof, seen here. Although the Harbor House is a modest representation of a style that tended toward elaborate ornamentation, Reed was nevertheless a person of means and, apparently, moxie, as it’s believed his ghost still roams the rooms of his former home.

Portland-based writer Julie Senk holds degrees in history and historic preservation and provides property surveys and architectural analyses to homeowners and businesses. To learn more about her work, visit northernvernacular.com.